Political for a second

OK I'm going to write a "grown up" post. I think the seven members of the Seattle City Council made a bad decision when they passed this "bag tax" recently. Here is an article from the Seattle PI explaining.

This law makes me upset because it's yet another step toward compulsory living in liberal Seattle. We should not be forced by the government to make "good decisions". Many of us, believe it or not, can make make them on our own, thank you very much. And to those who don't, well frankly, it's their choice. Also, with minor issues such as this, instead of imposing negative consequences to change something, isn't it better to use positive reinforcement? Which many stores already do. (By giving a little discount if you bring your own bags). Using a stylish reusable bag is fantastic. Those who have them (I do myself), can use them and feel good about themselves for doing so. But once again, it is an abuse of the city to force citizens to buy them when they don't want to or can't. Many people already recycle their plastic bags by using them for other things (Don't you? I do all the time).

This law is also rough on small businesses because it forces them to stop using foam containers. (I love my little Teriyaki joints) Not only will they have to pay for the more expensive "eco-friendly" containers, they will have to be burdened with more record keeping so they don't get walloped with a fine by the city government. Finally, what is with their timing? The economy seems to have everyone upset at the moment, gas prices are outrageous, so why did they push this through now? Every dollar counts, as they say.

Here is an opinion article from the Seattle Times which shows the absurdity of this, if you will.
Here is one last source that I found helpful in explaining the negative consequences of the law.

There, all done. That wasn't so bad. Perhaps there could be more political posts in the future. Unless I lose all my readers for being too contentious :)

The very last country song

I just picked up this cd at Target...












...and I love it! I have been listening to country since being in the womb (thanks mom) and have always felt like it's the best genre of music. I enjoy the story-telling that occurs with the songs, and in general, the way country artists portray life. Sure, you get the depressed, "my life left me, my dog left me.." kind of material, but hey, it's not fair to only pin that on country music. Has anyone ever listened to rock/emo music? It's even worse with them! And that twaaangy stuff? Hey, bring it on - I like it! One last element that makes country music the best - it's extremely patriotic. You just don't get that anywhere else, ya'll.

My favorite song so far on this cd is the last, it's called The Very Last Country Song;

"But if life stayed the way it was
And lovers never fell out of love
If memories didn't last so long
If nobody did nobody wrong
It we knew what we had before it was gone
If every road led back home
This would be
The very last country song"

Is that...a bump?

I am happy to say that I can now physically look at myself and say "there's a baby in there!" Up until now, like I mentioned before, I have only been losing weight. So in all other areas I actually find that I look thinner. But a few days ago I looked in the mirror and noticed that there is a small, yet visable bump. Then, another thought came - "I love being pregnant!" Despite all the unpleasantness of the past weeks, the novelty of beginning to show has made me all giddy. You can't really tell when I'm fully clothed, unless I wear something really tight, and most all of my pants still fit. Well, I take that back - some jeans are a little snug. But all my shirts are good to go (because of the styles now, doesn't it seem like a lot of your outfits would work for a big belly? Alot of my shirts seem like they have room to accomodate...hmmm I suppose I will find out!)

Lets see, anything else new? Mike and I are enjoying staying at the "big house". I realized how stuffy our apartment could get, and I think it's actually better for me to be here. Frankly, we do miss our huge soft bed...Mike suggested we strap it to the Geo Metro and bring it on over. Oh, I was going to mention how I've not been sleeping as well these days. It must be related to a. having to pee an average of 4 times a night (not an exaggeration) and b. difficulty getting comfortable. Now the latter could be related to sleeping in a different bed, but I'm not convinced because I think this all started before we came here. Either way, it hasn't been too pronounced. I still get enough sleep because I go to bed so darn early.

So back to my bump. I love my bump. I love this whole deal. For some reason this little bump to me affirms that all the suffering (and it's not even that bad) is worth it a hundred thousand fold.

mmMMmmm, Jamba Juice

Last night, around 8:30, I realized that a Jamba Juice sounded delightful. I tell this to my darling husband, who agrees that I should eat something besides merely the three pizza slices I had eaten all day (not because I didn't try my friends, I may have set a record yesterday). "But how are we going to aquire a Jamba Juice?" I ask innocently. Well, I think you know how this story is going to end. Mike did indeed go out and get a Jamba Juice for me, which he had to drive a bit for (not too far, but still, not just down the street). Now, this is certainly not the first time he's done something like this. There have been many sporadic outings for him in the last few months. But I wanted to write about last night because that Strawberry Surf Rider Jamba Juice was particularly delicious and my husband particularly sweet.

Reading lots and lots

One advantage of being sick often is getting to read often! I am fortunate at this time to not have an excessively demanding job, so I have found myself with time to read read read. This is also due to the fact that we don't have cable, just dvds of shows and such. (Which Mike usually won't let me watch when he's not here since they are new episodes (go ahead, write him comment for being so mean to me :P Actually, there could potentially be more tv-watching in the next two weeks because we will be house-sitting for my in-laws while they are both visiting far away lands (well, Pittsburgh). So we'll be spoiled with T.V. and A.C.!

Here is one book I just managed to order, even though I have known about it for a while and wanted to start the prayers during the first month because it is a 9-month novena to say while you're pregnant. (Here is a definition of a novena). It's lovely so far as it also includes other prayers, reflections, and room to write in your own thoughts and prayers intentions.

In the last two months or so I've also read: Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles by Raymond Arroyo, The Princes of Ireland, by Edward Rutherfurd, I'm Pregnant!, What to Expect When You're Expecting (only parts of it of course), and currently; Christianity's Dangerous Idea by Alister McGrath.

So what is on your booklist at the moment? Any reccomendations for me?

Two plants and a garden gnome

We have a total of two plants. I'm very proud. Like they say, you should start small.

And at least I have this cute lil' guy to watch over them. Hopefully someday he'll have more to do.

A little household perspective

Hey, I am wondering something. Could everyone that reads this blog let me know about how much laundry do you do? Per day/week, whatever. I would just like a little perspective because I'm curious. I honestly don't really mind doing laundry, so this is not a post about complaining about it at all. However, I usually do about 1-2 a day (so 7-14 a week) and for some reason that struck me as excessive this morning, since there are only two of us. So how about it ya'll, how much laundry do you do on average?

Not in earthquake, mighty wind, or many words; but in the "sound of sheer silence"

For the last few weeks, Mike and I have been going to what is called Vespers and Divine Liturgy on Saturday evening instead of Sunday morning. This fulfills our obligation for Sunday mass, in case anyone was wondering. (Actually, if your wondering why we even have an "obligation to go, just ask me and I'd be happy to explain). I like it because, first of all I really enjoy Vespers, and second of all there is a different crowd we get to see that we don't normally in the morning.

In the Byzantine rite, today is the feast of the prophet Elias, or Elijah. I wish I knew more about this very famous prophet (everyone at least recognizes the name). I did find a great little article about him here. It's not as informative as I wanted, but does explain how Elias' life can be directly relevant to our own lives. My favorite part about the readings is how Elias does not hear God's voice in the earthquake, the mighty wind, or even in many, fancy words. No, he hears God in the sound of utter silence. Goodness, to me this is a powerful notion especially in today's loud, overwhelming world.

I think I will spend some more time today, perhaps looking up the readings and seeing if I can discover more about this holy man. Also, see if I can settle in to hear God's voice in the stillness and silence...

First trip to see the baby doctor!

Yesterday was an exciting day. I basically leapt out of bed (bad idea when you’re pregnant) and hurried Mike around because I didn’t want to be late for our appt. As it turned out, it wouldn’t have been that bad if we were late because even though our appt. was at 9:45 we didn’t get to see the doctor until 11! But other than having to wait, the whole experience felt like the image I’ve always had of the whole “first going to the doctor pregnant” endeavor. Mike was with me the whole time being wonderfully sweet and supportive, there were pregnant ladies walking in and out of the place, we read baby magazines, and the whole time I felt elated and special. (Well, and nauseated, but of course that goes without saying)

Okay, so we both really did like our doctor, I’ll call her Dr. B. and her assistant, T. Side Note: Soon I will write an entry about the options Mike and I are still exploring for the delivery of the baby. Actually, we did not want to have the baby in the hospital, but rather in a birthing center or yes, even at home. However, because of our circumstances, (we are going to be moving back and forth from Pullman, and it’s my first pregnancy)seeing a regular OB/GYN seems like least complicated for now. But, again, we are still considering a birthing center with a mid-wife and other options. So, Dr. B was recommended to us by a friend who has 5 children and told me that Dr. B is very pro-life and is always glad to see her when she comes in pregnant. Now days, many doctors are not very receptive to women having more than 2-3 children. Even when my mom was pregnant with my sister, her third, the doctor had the nerve to ask her if she was going to continue with the pregnancy!! We didn’t want to have to deal with that nonsense, so we were comfortable going to Dr. B knowing that she is also is one of the few doctors around who will not perform an abortion. She was very kind to us, asking us lots of questions and I got the sense that she knew what she was doing (always a good thing). She seems to have excellent bed-side manner, and she put us both at ease. T is this cute little Philippino or Tai woman (sorry, I can’t really tell the difference) kept making jokes about Mike being a twin and how she was certain there were going to be two babies. (Also, I think she liked Mike because she talked to him a lot :) She is just one of those people who is very energetic and knowledgeable and fun. Also, when she was telling us about diet and exercise she gave me a stern warning that if I ever call her up and say, “T, I’m not feeling so good” and she asks if I’ve been drinking enough water, and I say no, then she’s going to yell at me because she told me over and over that I had to drink lots and lots of water! Very Important!!

The visit consisted of some pretty standard things like being weighed, checking out my breasts, a PAP, feeling (externally) how large my uterus is, drawing (what I felt like) was a lot of blood for tests, and…the best part of all – hearing the baby’s heart beat with a Doppler!! It sounded SO incredible! It was kind of cute because Mike is chatting away with the doctor as she pulls out the Doppler (which I had no idea what it was) and starts rubbing my belly. She tells Mike to keep talking and she would tell him when we could hear the heart beat. I’m laying there thinking, wow I didn’t know I would get to hear it today…then suddenly she says, oh there it is! Mike and I look at each other and we’re like, yay, that’s our baby! To think, for a little while, I have two hearts beating in me :) What an incredible gift from God! I didn’t get teary-eyed or anything, but now, thinking about it I am a little. I know I’m going to be one-emotional momma...

Well, now we are just going to wait another five weeks and then its Ultra-Sound time baby! We should even be able to know the sex (as long as he or she is in the right position and the tech is skilled enough) because I will be at about 16 weeks then, which is the earliest that they can typically tell. And don’t worry, we will be disclosing that information to the public. We are waaaayyy too eager about this baby to keep any secrets (Although Mike insists we should charge a fee for telling you)

Since we didn’t take any pictures of the visit, I just thought I would put up these pictures of two adorable babies:

Any idea as to who they are??

How I'm feeling

I have noticed that I've been extra-extra tired in the last few days. Last week I felt alot better, and we had a pretty energetic weekend with minimal throwing up. So I'm kind of mopey now that the nausea is back in full swing and I've been feeling like I am never fully awake. I think something might be going on developmentally with the baby...well yes, of course there is. Every day, every moment something is being added to the little being inside me. But I just mean, perhaps something more important that demands more energy from momma. I have been reading several pregnancy books and Internet sites, but since I'm not sure exactly where I am gestationally, I prefer not to assume certain things about what is already developed or not. Once I go to the doctor and she tells me exactly how many weeks I am along it will be easier to track. Did you know that the science is so extensive on the first trimester that they can track almost to the day, what exactly is happening? After the first tri is over, it becomes a little more individualized depending on the mother and baby, but it the first all-important trimester when all the major systems are created, we can know day-t0-day what is happening! Anyway, back to how I've been feeling. My mom kept reassuring me when I first starting feeling sick that it was going to pass and to not get down. She said it so many times that I kind of got a little irritated with her, telling her that I knew it was temporary and not to worry about me! But, now I know what she was doing because I'm reaching a point where I'm just very weary and desperate to wake up feeling normal again. I feel bad for Mike because I am a drain and we don't get to do very many fun things these days. I told him yesterday, tearfully, that I was sorry for being a wet blanket. Also, I would like to do more creative/interesting things with my free time, but that's difficult when I've only the energy to do the necessities. *Sigh* I know, this too shall pass. I'll be okay. Soon I will be a happy snappy pregnant lady with a rosier outlook on the exciting upcoming prospects of life, right??

Independence

I just realized that the fourth of July might just be one of my favorite holidays. It's such a joyous occasion that we are celebrating - not only our Independence from Great Britain, but overall just a time to honor the wonderful country we are blessed to live in. Ever since meeting Mike, I have decidedly become more patriotic. I used to vaguely be aware that America was a pretty nice place to live, but that I could probably be just as happy in another European country. But, after really thinking about it, I realize that no, I could not be just as happy anywhere else. Sure, America has some flaws, but that's due to the fallible citizens and such, not to her original ideals and principals - those, I believe, are quite good and I will even go as far as to say, the best in the world.

Mike, Pat, and I went to Gasworks park on Lake Union to see the WaMu show. Let me just say one word about it - breathtaking. It was definitely worth arriving at 4 in the afternoon to secure a spot. I was fortunate that I felt fine all day, the morning sickness was abated by eating something almost constantly. I really enjoyed myself and would probably like to go next year as well. I don't know though, a 5 month old might be a little young for such a thing. We'll see!

*And girls, thanks to a very convincing blog post, and because I DO want to hang out with you all, I will be attending the 3rd annual Seaside trip :) Love you guys!

Snip Snip

I had my hair cut a few days ago. It's been getting long, which I was happy about. However, sadly, my hair is very very fine and it starts to look stringy when it gets too long. I have always wanted long beautiful thick curly hair, but alas, it wasn't in the gene pool for me

I've been getting my hair cut at this place for almost a year now by the sweetest gentleman you have ever met. I really enjoy going and chatting with him because he's so genuine and friendly. He reminds me of a kindly grandfather with lots of advice and thoughts about life, and he's not gay (it seems like that might be running through your head), in fact he's married to another lady who works there too. Well anyway, on to the before and after shots.

Funny, I have almost the exact same expression. (And this will probably be the only time you will see my hair actually straight. I'm addicted to my curling iron :)

I was just thinking about the baby, and I bet he or she is going to have straight hair. Mike and I both have straight hair, the only difference is Mike's grows like wildfire and mine grows veerrryyy slooooowly. Also his is quite a bit thicker. Most likely they will also have light hair, at least when they are born. Ooo so exciting just to think about it!!!

Oh, and one last thing I just thought of. Sarah, do you remember when we used to say (actually I believe it was only you) that we would have to get our hair cut really short and cute some day when we were pregnant? Because it just seemed fitting for some reason...